The first Monday at work after a Chemo Friday.

Oh my god! I really missed the mark when I thought how I would handle working while on chemo. This is no easy task at all. I was dragging all day at work. Got home and could barely function. Woke up on the living room floor around 8 to take myself to bed.

I hope after week two it will be better, but I'm not hopeful.

Chemo brain sucks, Shrimp Etoufe rocks and Coach dances divinely.

Ok... so I can't spell really well...

Chemo brain bites. While shopping today, I ran into a number of old friends from my school district job... couldn't come up with a name to save my butt.

Made Shrimp Etoufee tonight. LOVED IT!!! It came out perfectly!

Coach danced with me in a dream last night.... I was at the Army motor pool with my dad. I don't know why he was there. Coach grabbed me up and whisked me around the blacktop. I woke up and thought, " Now that was just weird!"

Ok... so much for my weird day. :-)

Being frustrated with life's speed bumps.

I am so tired of this chemo crap. I'm over the hump now, but I am SO ready to be done.

This week at work went well. I managed not to hurt myself or any of the equipment. That's a good thing.

Medical professionals are leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I'm sure you may recall my last venting on incompetent boobs who work in these offices.

I am NOT good at spontaneity. I like to have a nice nifty schedule to follow.

Last week my PAC phoned me to get me to get my blood work done a day early so that I could see my former oncologist before he left for his new practice in Seattle. I was a bit miffed (my schedule was thrown off) but I went on in and got it done. My platelets were way down, so we canceled my treatment (another ding in my schedule). I met with the oncologist (an unscheduled appointment) and we changed my schedule from 3 on 1 off to 2 on 1 off.

That brings me to this week.

Oncologist receptionist (blondie cutie that uses post-it notes as a project management program) phones to confirm my appointment for Wednesday. Sorry toots! You're a freaking month off. Chemo brain or not, I KNOW my schedule! I didn't even bother to return her call.

Thursday the infusion center phones me, "Where are you? You've missed your appointment!" Ok... PAC thought I was doing Thursday infusions... no big deal. We rescheduled for yesterday (Friday).

Friday, I show up, and my RN cannot do anything with me because PAC sent no orders. *sigh* PAC runs around trying to get it squared away. Old oncologist is in Seattle, he can't sign. New oncologist is out, likely trying to get his new life in town organized. Finally, she gets the Doc across the hall to sign my orders. This finally gets me into a chair an hour late. *sigh* THEN the orders aren't even complete. No Zofran on the order. Great... I almost had to get all pukie while getting my Gemzar. Fortunately, the RN got it all together for me. My 90 minute appointment was nearly 3.5 hours.

I wished people would quit changin my life around! Don't do me any favors, stick to a schedule!

Grrr

What's happenin...

New blue color for the blog. It was time to change it up.

Work is going well. It's a lot of voodoo and scotch tape making it all work, as well as a little tug here, move this a smidgen there. But... it is a job and my insurance payment will drop significantly. I guess in time I'll get it all figured out. I'm with a great team and they help me out a lot.

I'm tired. Part of it, I'm sure, is the chemo. The other part is, I haven't had to do anything physical in about 15 years. Sitting on my butt, working on computers has not prepared me for standing up all day and being on the move. In time, that will improve as well.

I do not miss working in an I.T. shop. This new position is so busy, you flat out run and the day flies by. I like not having time to stare at the clock all the time.

Another skip week.

Well, my number plummeted again. Platelettes were down to 88 from last night's blood work. So, I got to miss today. We've modified my schedule. I now go 2 weeks on, 1 week off.

Work is a trip, a lot harder than I thought. My 6 month vacation has made me fat and sassy. So, I need to build back up. A good rest this weekend, and I'll be good to go for another week of fun and frivolity.

Pizza tonight! Yeah!

Back to the coal mine.

Today I went back to work. I like my new position, and so far, things are going well. I am pooped though.

I met with my oncologist on Tuesday. This was my last visit with him before he moves on to other opportunities out of state. I'll meet my new oncologist during my next appointment.

I may get set to 2 on 1 off for my treatments, mainly because my numbers are getting SO hammered. I still will follow a 6 month course, just a different schedule. That works fine for me!

That's all for now. More in the next few days.

8 down, 10 to go!

Over the course of the last week, I thought about attitude and how things were going.

I tried to keep a positive attitude this week, much more positive than in the prior week. Attitude and ginger ale along with ginger snap cookies seemed to help a great deal.

Last week, my week was filled with activity. That was good. It seemed my phone rang off the hook. Some of the memorable calls:

"Dad, I was rear ended... what do I do now?"

"Dad my bike had a blow out, can you send sister?"

"Dad, I lost my key ring somewhere... can you make copies."

My week went ok compared to my kids. Last week, if it weren't for bad luck, Rhiannon would have no luck at all.

Yesterday's visit went well, but my numbers took a pummling. Platelettes are way down this time. Hemoglobin was way down. White blood cells were down hard. I hope I don't have to skip again next week. My oncologist did say that we might go to 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. I guess that will be ok.

On to survice another few days of fealing icky!

Over the hump month!

Tomorrow starts "over the hump month". After the next three weeks worth of glorious chemo, I'll be on the downhill side of things. I'm looking forward to completion.

Fun events during the last 21 days I've had off. (I had to skip a week, then my normal skip week makes 21 days) :

I can't remember shit. I cannot tell you how many times I've walked away from the stove, leaving it on! DOH! Not good! Thank goodness I do it when others are around.

I was a rebel and shaved with shaving cream and a razor! OOOO!

I am losing SO much hair on my body. My head seems to be safe so far but my back, chest, feet. Holy smoke... I look like I'm 15 again!!! Well... not counting the "budda belly". Ah.. to be 115 lbs again, with a lot of hair to boot!

I can't remember shit. I cannot tell you how many times I've walked away from the stove, leaving it on! DOH! Not good! Thank goodness I do it when others are around. OH Wait!!! I already said that. Never mind.

Season 1 of ER has more liver, cancer and hurting baby story lines than I wish to count.

Both of my kids started at Chico State this year. Yeah!!! That rocks!

I can't remember shit. I cannot tell you how many times I've walked away from the stove... crap... do I have chemo brain, or am I just getting old?????

That's enough fun for now. More to follow later!